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IATA reports lower aircraft accident rate in 2021
March 4th 2022
There were fewer aircraft accidents in 2021, figures from the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) annual safety report show. Read More » The all-accident rate declined to 1.01 per million flights in 2021, from 1.58 million in 2020. The figure also was below the five-year average between 2017 and 2021 of 1.23 million flights. The all-accident rate for IATA member airlines in 2021 was 0.44 per million flights compared with 0.77 in 2020 and the five-year average of 0.72. "The severe reduction in flight numbers last year compared with the five-year average magnified the impact of each accident when we calculate rates," IATA director general, Willie Walsh, said. "Yet in the face of numerous operational challenges in 2021, the industry improved in several key safety metrics. At the same time, it is clear we have much work ahead of us to bring all regions and types of operations up to global levels of safety performance." The airline lobby group said there were seven fatal accidents in 2021. Six involved turboprops and one was a jet aircraft, up from five in 2021. Fatalities declined to 121, from 132 in the previous year.
